Saturday, March 28, 2015

How
to Catch a Prince
by Rachel Hauck is about Corina Del Rey, an American heiress, who is just
coming out of the grief of her twin brother’s combat death five years ago, and
Prince Stephen of Brighton-strong and handsome, yet tortured by the memories of
his time of service in Afghanistan.
Corina and Stephen had shared a special connection known only to them,
yet now they are separated by miles and years.
After Corina is visited by Stephen with some upsetting news, she pours
out her heart to God, and is willing to do what God wants in her relationship
with Stephen. Then she is sent to
Brighton for her work as a journalist, and the angelic fun begins!

There
is so much to love about this book! It
is set in the current day, alluding to actual events and personalities, which
makes it so believable. Both Stephen and
Corina are strong, likable characters, because of their upbringing in the
public eye. It is very quotable. Corina is told about her trip to
Brighton: “You came to answer true love’s
call.”

I
just loved being swept up in this story!
I highly recommend it for those who like romance and fairy tales. It is the third book in the Royal Wedding
series, but anyone would enjoy it even if they had not read the previous
two. I have read the previous books in
the series, Once Upon a Prince and Princess Ever After, and I
highly recommend those books as well.

I was captivated by this book, and as I was reading, I came up with a few quotes of my own. As you read the book, hopefully you will be endeared by these elements as well:

Thursday, March 26, 2015

I've been following author Tricia Goyer for a while now. She does a lot! She home schools, she adopts more kids, she has a radio show, she blogs regularly, and she leads a Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. Oh, and she's a writer! As one of her followers, I was given the opportunity to join her Street Team for her latest book, Teen Mom: You're Stronger than You Think.

Tricia Goyer speaks to teen moms from her own experience. She became a teen mom at the age of seventeen, so she can identify with the unique struggles a teen mom faces. She tells her story throughout the book, describing how her life has turned out well, in spite of her teen pregnancy. She writes in a warm, friendly voice with lots of encouragement for teen moms. I love how she instructs, admonishes, and encourages girls to be the best person each can be, for their sake and for the sake of their babies. The book is structured around nine needs of teen moms, and explores the importance of each one. As girls read this book, they are encouraged to consider their circumstances, decide what their goals are, and take steps to make those goals a reality.

She also discusses the need for God to be a part of the girls’ lives. She does that in a very conversational, non-threatening way throughout the book, after she has gained their trust and friendship.

The layout of this book is appealing, also. Chapters are broken up into small sections, there are insets scattered throughout, and there are lots of quotes about the subject at hand from other teen mothers. And the font for chapter titles subject breaks is fun!

One thing teen moms do not need is more judgment, and this book delivers the opposite: Lots of encouragement to make good decisions from this point on. I would highly recommend this book to be given to any young girl who finds herself pregnant.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

USA Today bestselling author Tricia Goyer is the author of more than 50 books, including the novelization for Moms’ Night Out. She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. Tricia and her husband, John, live in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Tricia coordinates a Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. They have six children.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

I've been following author Tricia Goyer for a while now. She does a lot! She home schools, she adopts more kids, she has a radio show, she blogs regularly, and she leads a Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. Oh, and she's a writer! As one of her followers, I was given the opportunity to join her Street Team for her latest book, Teen Mom: You're Stronger than You Think. My thoughts about that book will be in an upcoming for post, but for now, we're going to hear from Tricia herself.

17 Ways to Reach Out to Single Parents

A little over forty years ago, a single, young woman was about to give birth. She didn’t know how to afford a child without her parents’ help. She hadn’t talked to her former boyfriend in months. She couldn’t reach him, didn’t know how to tell him she was having his child.

This young woman attended church some, yet her dialogue with God was stilted. How could God let this happen to her? What would her life be like now?

A baby girl was born, and upon holding her child this young lady knew things would be OK. Perhaps this baby was a gift, not a burden as she supposed.

This woman raised her daughter the best she could, and while she wanted to give her child more than she had . . . history has a way of repeating itself. When the daughter became a young woman, she found herself in the same situation — living at home, pregnant and scared.

The daughter knew she could raise this child. After all, her mom had done it. But what would her life be like? How could God let this happen to her?

If you haven’t guessed already, I was the daughter born to a single mom and as a teenager became a single mom myself. At age 17, God gave me a son. My boyfriend was out of the picture, and I faced raising a child alone with little education, no money and, maybe according to the world, little hope for my future. I know what it’s like to be a young, simple mom and what made a huge difference in my life. Here are some ways you can reach out to single parent:

1. Free childcare.

A Moms’ Day out is greatly needed! You should know that these moms, especially teen moms, may have a hard time leaving their children. Outline for them as clear as possible who will be watching their kids, what type of childcare experience they have, and what activities will be done. Many young moms have been hurt in the past in numerous ways and they are very sensitive when it comes to their kids.

2. Guy Events.

Many children of single parents don’t have positive male role models in their lives. Activities for guys to do with kids–fishing, an obstacle course, Lego building, etc. would be a huge blessing for these moms. They understand this need in their kids and feel bad because of it.

3. Car clinics.

Many single moms don’t have someone to help with maintenance stuff like checking the oil, checking the tires, checking the windshield wipers, etc. And cleaning out/detailing the car would be a huge blessing, too.

4. Expert advice.

Do you have experts who could help them with advice?

Legal (custody stuff)

Resume building or job training

Parenting tips or help

Cooking simple meals

Reading the Bible

Pass out a questionnaire ahead of time and find out their needs.

5. Necessity kits.

Many moms struggle with money. Kits you can put together.

First aid kits

Cleaning kits

Spice cabinet basics

Toiletry kits

Home “office” kit: calendar, stamps, pens, tape, stapler, etc.

Kitchen towels and potholders

6. Christian books and resources.

Again these are “splurge” items they’re not able to buy for themselves.

7. Craft time!

Single moms often don’t have time to sit down and have fun. Create a craft event where they can sit, make something cool, and chat with others.

8. Gift cards

Give them a gift card for dinner out at someplace other than McDonalds.

9. Gas cards.

They often get stuck at home because they don’t have enough money for gas.

10. Christian music.

They often don’t know it exists, but find it uplifting.

11. Toys-R-Us or Walmart gift cards.

So they can buy something nice for their child’s birthday or a holiday.

12. Home improvement projects.

Mowing the yard of a single mom, or putting together a set of bunk beds is a huge help.

13. Offer a mini-vacation.

This takes more work, but moms often don’t get a change to get away. Does someone you know work at a hotel chain where you can get a discount on a hotel room? Or does someone have a vacation home or time share nearby?

14. Invite her to your house for dinner.

She’ll be happy and shocked!

15. Free haircut, manicure or massage.

… from a professional! Being pampered is something they usually don’t have the time or money for.

16. Kids haircuts.

This is a huge help to her, too!

17. Birthday cakes.

Do you have someone who can bake a birthday cake for her birthday or her child’s?

USA Today bestselling author Tricia Goyer is the
author of more than 50 books, including the novelization for Moms’ Night Out.
She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high
traffic sites like TheBetterMom.comand MomLifeToday.com. Tricia
and her husband, John, live in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Tricia coordinates
a Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. They have six children.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Harriet
Peabody works as a hat maker in 1880s New York City. She works in the back of the shop, never
customer-facing. Then on her birthday,
her employer assigns her to deliver a sizable number of hats to a rich, young
society woman at the home of one of the most influential, affluent businessmen
of the day. What starts out as a simple
delivery turns into a rumpus that results in her dismissal from her job. And in the midst of that altercation Harriet
meets Oliver Addleshaw, who insists on hiring Harriet to be his companion
during a series of upcoming business engagements with the Duke of Westmoore. Each page of the book then reveals a new
adventure, misunderstanding, challenge, or surprise as Harriet prepares for her
new role.

This
was a fun book to read! Although Harriet
was of questionable parentage and upbringing, the sum of her experiences made
her a well-spoken, knowledgeable, and capable woman. The repartee between Harriet, Oliver, and
other characters was just delightful, and so entertaining! The plot twists kept the book moving forward
at just the right pace, and the surprise ending was just wonderful! I highly recommend this lighthearted book, and
hope that you will laugh as much as I did!

This
is the first book in Turano’s A Class of Their Own series, and I am certainly
looking forward to reading more from this author.

I
received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for my
honest review, which I have given.

To read more about Jen Turano or her books, go to http://jenturano.com.